Genie In A Bottle
by Laylinka
Summary: The Hatter tries to convince Alice to stay.


Started: October 2011

Finished: October 2011

"You could stay." The Hatter looked at her longingly, hopefully.

"What an idea." He smiled at her smile. "A crazy mad wonderful idea. But I can't. There are questions I have to answer, things I have to do." Her voice trailed off. His smile faded as did hers as she thought.

"If that is your wish." The Hatter boldly took her hand and kissed it. He received a surprised look from her and a smile. She laughed softly and took him in a hug.

He awkwardly froze, but it only took him a second to realize he might never get this chance again. He wrapped his arms around her in her pretty blue dress and blond hair.

"My dear Alice," he sighed as she pulled away. She looked into his face, sadness etched on every feature.

"Don't be sad, you'll be fine. Everything here is as it should be. The friends I've met, all of you, I'll treasure you but…they're not, you're not part of my world."

"You're a part of ours," he said quickly.

She looked down, knowing she couldn't argue with that. It was hard to see him sad. Leaving was proving to be more difficult then she thought.

"I have to go," she still pressed.

"No you don't."

She smiled widely at his audacious insistence. "You're making this so hard."

"We haven't even got a chance to Fadderwack."

Her brows rose in surprise still wearing a smile. "We?" she asked.

"Yes, we. The weather's great here, it never snows and the company's even better." He winked. The part of her that wanted to leave was getting smaller and smaller. "Look around. You saved us from the reign of the Red Queen. This is a beautiful, wonderful place. There are still so many things you haven't seen or done."

She smiled. "My goodness Hatter, you're really working me over." The Hatter smiled guiltily. Alice went on to say, "My world's not so strangely beautiful like this. You are right there are many things I haven't done or seen. It would be quite nice to explore more of this interesting place." He gave her his best puppy dog eyes his fiery green orbs could project. She smiled and looked back and forth at his eyes.

"Ok. I give, I give. I'll stay." The Hatter joyfully picked Alice up and spun her around.

"Everyone, she's staying! Alice is staying!"

For the next few days, Alice stayed at the white queen's palace. One morning she was fixing her hair when she heard a gentle tapping at her door.

"Come in."

"Hello Alice."

"Hatter," she said with a smile. "What brings you here?"

"I just wanted to see you, make sure your still here," he said shyly.

"Of course I'm still here."

He walked up to her. "And I wanted to invite you over for brunch and if you wanted to perhaps, go to the Red Queen's former palace, turn the place upside down and mock everything it used to be."

Alice giggled. "That sounds hysterical."

The Hatter continued enthusiastically with, "and then later tonight, maybe burn down the Red Queens former palace and turn it into the long gone and forgotten ruins it should be."

"Why Hatter, that sounds like a destructive bizarrely fantastic idea."

"You like it? I was afraid it was too much, with the 30 foot flames and all." He stared at her intently with a smile on his face.

"What is it Hatter?"

"Just getting used to you being not too small or not too tall." She smiled.

They were sitting at the Hatters table when Alice was looking off in the distance. The Hatter asked, "What's wrong?"

"I feel like I made the wrong, the wrong choice." It only took a moment for him to realize what she was referring to.

He put his finger to her lips, "Shh, nonsense."

"It's just that in all the stories I've read of people going to strange places, having adventures learning valuable lessons. They're offered a chance to stay but they go home and take new knowledge and strength with them. They always go home…"

The Hatter looked thoughtfully. "What did you want for those characters? When the time came, did you enjoy that they left?"

"No, not really, though I understood why. They always made friends and had to say good-bye. I hate to say good-bye. Going back was always the way it ended. I feel like I made the wrong choice, in fact I'm almost certain."

"There will be no talking like that, for I know the potion that will make you small," he said lightly. "A drop of that in your cup and the tea pot can be your new home, like a genie in a bottle," laughed the Hatter.

She laughed with him. "Now that would be mad."

"Too much?" he asked. "It would be a pity because I'm quite fond of your current size." He looked her in the eyes and said, "It was a crazy mad wonderful choice." He leaned in with mock seriousness and put finger up inches from her face. "And you'll not think of it any other way." Alice laughed at his fake stern tone.

"I'm enjoying it very much here."


End file.
